Congrats! You found this business blog devoted to new people wanting to earn a living using the real Internet phenomenon…all while doing it honestly and ethically. I apologize in advance if any of this content is somewhat repetitious. As I develop this business blog further, I will remove redundancies.

Today’s post covers the awful reality governing Internet marketing products readily found online, promising to do it all. I’m here to help you sort through the massive number of scammers appearing online. They have every fancy device available to separate you from your wallet…and they look credible.

CORE TRUTH — Those of us who are 1,000 % honest about what we do online are entirely interested in delivering quality help you can trust…if you want to tackle the online marketing yourself, hire out, or do a combo of both. You will have to buy basic business staples online that help you do what’s needed…like sometimes add software that helps you build other businesses online websites. This is oddly a secret Internet marketers don’t like to share…because they work from some weird “not enough to go around” idea. The Internet is vast. There are millions of businesses needing to move online. There is no shortage…save for the fact that Internet marketers…or good ones…are rare.

When you want to ask someone online what has to happen for you, it’s this reality. When you are new online, YOU DON’T KNOW WHO YOU’RE ACCESSING. In prior articles, I share the nasty reality of having spent massive money online just to find the right guidance. I won’t tell you how much because you’ll see the actual number in one of my other posts. Let’s just say…in short…you do NOT have to spend a ton of money to start your online business. YOU DO have to find out precisely what’s needed, however.

Here’s what to avoid…as listed by the Top 10 Common Pitfalls of Online Guru Scams

If your gut remains open, you are reading comprehensive information. If you read content that is untruthful or not right for you, your gut will tighten and the content will appear as if they’re working your emotions…by triggering “I gotta have this now..or else”. No …you have time on your side. You are the inquirer and potential purchaser…not a target.

We start with the least crushing of falsehoods and move into the most poignant ones…kind of like the late night talk shows will do:

Pitfall #10) The guru ceaselessly brags about how much money they’re making.

TRUTH — If you’re making real money, you don’t want to tell people just how much because it only makes you an easy target. True professionals who deliver solid products/services remain as inconspicuous as possible…offline and online.

Pitfall #9) The guru launches a “quick” Clickbank product every year. Then they use their captured screenshots from a prior launch to brag about their results. Don’t believe this for a second.

TRUTH — If you’re developing real products/services that DO WORK…they stand the test of time and they totally reveal what’s “up front”. We call this full disclosure. Honest business people will tell you precisely what you need and don’t need…and they won’t rip you off for even sharing the most common sense basics.

Pitfall #8) They claim to be part of a “mastermind”, “joint venture”, or “super millionaire” think tank system…when in fact, some of these people hire out the work…or in the very worst of cases, cannot tell you “how they did it”.

TRUTH — It could be some “worn out”, uneducated person working from his dusty parent’s apartment basement…trying to look like a success. Real pro’s work hard to develop themselves so that they can offer workable services. They don’t take any shortcuts of any kind. They will always tell you the complete truth. See a pattern here? Why risk ruining your good name for a quick buck?

Pitfall #7) The guru promotes a new product every single week to their list.

TRUTH — It’s sad. Real services/products online do not come and go on a whim. They are staples the larger business public will need.

Pitfall #6) Using pitfall #7 over and over again…but drawing out (elaborating) what’s involved in the new product. The guru promotes a new product every week and they don’t know what it is or what it does.

TRUTH — It’s the same, worn out, unworkable, tattered old leather shoe (product) that doesn’t work in today’s online environment. Google hires doctorates to manage/operate their search engine systems…and that means including changes the public will need for a happy, easy, research-able experience leading to a happy and simple purchase involving real delivery on the front end offer. Best online businesses disclose what they are about, they share what they will do for the consumer, and they tell consumers what they are not equipped to handle. So instead, these businesses will refer consumers to places that can additionally help get people what they really need).

In the online world, think like an M.D. or an attorney when you are in need of something. You are looking for a website that will tell you everything required to build your client list…without pulling any punches about what’s involved. You will know how much things usually cost relative to the services being offered honestly online. You will be told precisely what you get in return, within a specified period of time. It’s very concrete…not fuzzy.

Pitfall #5) This one really gets me…and it will upset you too. Trust this feeling when you hit a guru’s website that promises one thing…but then delivers something else entirely. I call it…”bait and switch”. You’ll see one offer…followed by another and another…like getting lost in the rabbit hole, but you can’t remember what the first offer was. You will see…”hurry…click here before this offer expires” or something ratty like “oh…and one more offer ending today”.

TRUTH — There is no “urgent buy now” button on a decent Internet product purchase. If someone needs a website, it will carry the same marketing elements over time as Google determines what’s going to be listed and ranked well on page #1. The webmaster will tell you…”It takes 100 hours to complete a decent website” and the cost runs $95/hour..when the website contains X, Y, and Z. If you want more functionality and more pages involved, it will cost you an extra $____ dollars based on the amount of ad copy we write for your business. Ad copy involves messages that tell consumers online what your business offers.

Gurus rely on the fact that they can sell you a turnkey system promising to do it all. This system does not exist. It takes work on any business owner’s part to find the right people who want what you offer, build trust and rapport, and then make the offer for an honest closed cost. You wouldn’t sell bras to a dog would you? You wouldn’t sell sandals to a horse? You wouldn’t sell exercise equipment to a cat..would you? Think very concretely. Anything you buy online will carry a specific name by brand and it will fit a very specific need. Toenail fungus requires an alcohol-based product…usually found in drug-stores. If it is available online, it will say “toenail fungus”…cures toenails already separated from the nail bed. Cannot cure serious conditions where the alcohol cannot penetrate a thick nail bed. Gurus sell systems to unknowing consumers wanting quick businesses and sales overnight. These supposed systems are sold in individual units that may look related but only add to the confusion about what’s needed for an online campaign to work.

So…if you are a business moving online, you will need what’s called marketing “real estate”. It’s the land that people see with the business signs appearing on that land…and that land must have a road where the traffic can walk into that business for ready purchase.

You will see that there is a very specific amount of money involved in getting a decent website made. If you create your own website, consulting fees can be paid to the marketer to tell you specifically what you need and don’t need…paid on an hourly basis or for some set fee you may negotiate…based on what your business will need by specific marketing elements. It should feel like a real value and make total sense.

Guru offers get you all stirred up and emotional so that you hit the buy button. You don’t even know what you need by the time you’ve spent $300. This reality will not apply if you are seriously moving online. Every online business has a website. They have foot traffic (inquiries online), and they have products appearing on that website. They have a way to communicate with people. They have pricing. It’s universal.

Pitfall #4) The guru brags about promotions. The most common one you’ll see online is the “make money”…but the guru has not made any money directly.

TRUTH — This one may seem very observable when you see the website…but I will tell you that there are tricky people out there. The most viable products/services carry a specific price-tag based on what the market will directly bear. This is natural business law at work. Violate even one small law with people and your name will be mud in no time flat.

The most ethical, successful business people offline and online never sugar-coat the reality consumers face. They tell you what’s involved. You can ask any question and get a direct response. If the marketer does not know, they will tell you…”I have to check with the various pro’s in my network to locate the most viable, workable answer and I will get back to you asap”.

Pitfall #3) Any guru who uses the words “fast”, “project”, “push button”, “cash”, “super”, “millionaire”, “quick”, “instant’, “crusher”, “launch”, “commission”, “system”, or “clickbank” in it should not be trusted. They most likely won’t have a network…nor will they be able to educate you in specifics…nor will they be able to tell you who they use for their own success. If they do…you will see the same names over and over again.

TRUTH — Who does this in a credible business? If you’re like me, you won’t. I want a business I can be proud of…tell people about…make referrals…and build a trustworthy network of pros who deliver. You’ll care about developing a quality name for yourself so that consumers will trust you in ALL situations. You wil be able to tell someone…”no..you don’t need this because it only costs you $$ but won’t give you X. It will be very specific information protecting your interests.

You will find and develop your own networks of individuals who will be committed to successful business, and they will consistently deliver on need. You will test individuals to see what they can deliver. If they can’t deliver, you will replace the ones who don’t work well with the ones who over-deliver every time. Solid networks take time to build, test, and evolve. These honest people will have specific names of people they’ve worked with before so that they can refer to you other experts who can help. Always ask for referrals. These people will have a very strong online presence and they will be around for years and years to come.

Pitfall # 2) You claim that a product can help you earn $100,000+ in a month.

TRUTH — Really? I never knew that I could make that kind of money that fast…even with my own mastery at work. True wealth is built through dedicated work, re-investment back into the business, and savings. There is no shortcut to this abundant reality…at least if you want to be completely trusted. Business owners have to set aside money for taxes…and they have to save money in the event there are some economic downturns or other unanticipated changes in their businesses.

Pitfall #1) When you think you are a GURU but cannot tell people specifically “just how much business experience you have”.

TRUTH — I was in business for myself for 10 years…operating a martial arts school… but was a long-standing member and senior black belt instructor for 23 years. I have been involved in online marketing for 6 years, I have hired a grand total of 8 different marketing instructors…finding people I could absolutely trust who are available in person..on the net. I work with these people daily. I am certifying in pay-per-click advertising, article marketing. I write content myself (ad copy). I research individual businesses so that it’s determined what has to specifically go on that website…so that consumers will want to stay on that website to find out about more information.

As stated in prior posts, I have an extensive network of people devoted to consumer’s online success. We will always tell you that there is no fast buck to be earned online. You must become an true expert in whatever it is that you move.

You will always be learning and improving your skills. Internet marketers are very highly trained. Newbies can absolutely learn. If they can write basic sentences, they can write published articles helping them get their websites/blogs indexed with Google…for free. It’s a sweat equity thing.

A decent network will create different online products all businesses need but these will be staple elements business owners can testify as working Prices will vary per need. There is no quick decision. It takes time to build a proper online infrastructure that works. It is not an overnight deal.

This has been lengthy but you’re worth knowing what’s out there. Google shut down 100,000 online marketers…after they had made a ton of cash. The most honest ones are still working on their businesses to get them right. It takes right-minded action upholding very high values to give people what they demand.

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Now…about the Internet marketing education. I won’t tell you that you can set up your business without some research, new learning, and work. You will need it. I won’t tell you that you don’t have to use sweat equity to build your business. You will. If you like what you’re doing, you won’t mind. You will be charged by working with people.

FINAL TRUTH — The content I share with you has been developed by this New Economy educational place. They teach individuals to do their own things.

If you use any other online grouping of so-called gurus, there is something major you should look for. You will be building your business…not someone else’s. You will have total freedom to determine how you put yourself online, and you’ll have total control over what you say/write and publish. You will own your marketing systems outright…without exceptions.

There are positives, however.

I will ask you to seriously consider Wealthy Affiliate. This is not suggesting you will become an affiliate marketer. I am talking about becoming an Internet marketer…where you can help individuals set up their businesses…or you can pull in some affiliate marketing if you want. These people are ecstatic. They realize a solid place of learning is real…that there are people online who truly care about individual’s business success. These people feel as though they have finally found something that works and will be a save haven from all major GURU’s.

You have a question for us, you get an answer. I and others like me sit INSIDE of Wealthy Affiliate every day, where we tackle the technical sides of Internet business. We talk about what’s needed…and we have access to tools that help you deliver on consumer needs.

* You want to have the ability to chat with people using instant chat

* Have the chance to build key marketing resources (as you see with my blog) where I do just that and more.

* You want behind the scenes, building new technologies and services that will only continue to increase what WA offers.

One of the main questions we always get is “why we don’t promote other people’s products like all of the other GURU’s out there?”.

My response is this:

I cannot ethically promote anything out there.

If I could find something that was high quality, and was as cost efficient as the place I learn by/at, I would have already provided you with the same sort of value that is being promoted out there in cyber-land. I would directly tell you…here’s where you can get quality Internet marketing instruction.

In truth, all of the $1997 products, the $5,000 mentoring packages, and the 10,000’s of $27, $47 and $97 products out there pale in comparison. They barefly scratch the surface of what has to happen for your business to get it going (not to mention profitable). You CAN automate. You CAN talk to many people at once. You can attract people to you who want what you already offer. You CAN close deals at prices people will be willing to pay. You CAN maintain valuable working relationships with these people so that they will come back to you for more help.

Have you been taken by a guru in the past?

If you are a member of Wealthy Affiliate and you are reading this, I would love to hear your thoughts.

If you are not a member, I would love to hear about your experiences thus far. I hope it won’t be full of terrible realities. Take it slow online. Be careful about who you research. The gurus pop up everywhere when you enter an unrelated “search” word at Google. They use this strategy all the time. The best marketers online do not do this. When you enter Internet marketing education…Internet marketing help…, you will not see “quick money”…”easy websites in minutes”… and more I’d rather not mention. You see how long this article already is. I apologize.

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